What is it?

• Pervasive pattern of preoccupation
• Effects orderliness, perfectionism, mental, interpersonal control
• Inhibits flexibility, openness, efficiency
• OCD is time consuming, interferes with routine/academic functioning
• Usually emerges in early adulthood

Obsessions:

• Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, images
• Thoughts are intrusive, inappropriate
• Thoughts cause extreme anxiety, distress

Compulsions:

• Repetitive behaviors (hand washing, ordering, checking)
• Repetitive mental acts (praying, counting, repeating words silently)
• Behaviors and thoughts are internally driven, uncontrollable

What does it look like?

• Forming perfect circles around the answers on a multiple choice test
• Making all the letters identical on a 1000 word essay
• Struggling to say the correct thing, continually correcting themselves
• Appearing inattentive, having a lack of focus

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